While Starfleet and the authorities were doing heavy investigations on this new evil that threatened United Equestria and its dreamers, life still continued on normally, which meant that other secrets, and/or common things would happen… good or bad.

It had been a year since The Cutiemark Crusaders all had graduated from Cheerliee’s school and went on to High School or training with the Starfleet Academy, but of course it only meant that Cheerliee would gain new students every year.

Her name was Lil’ Fair. She was a pale white Earth Pony with a shoulder length pink and white-streaked mane. Her Cutiemark was that of a shiny golden ball, which looked just as pretty as she did-- for a nine-year old.

They would play so much that they would neglect their chores or their school studies, which often lead to complications with their parents and teachers.

“Grownups… What do they know?” Lil’ scoffed. “They had to grow up and leave all the fun and joy behind, but we don’t have to.”

Her friends all agreed. They didn’t want to grow up and be serious, but rather stay young, frisky, and have nothing but fun forever.

So they had far less time to hang with Lil’, or they just felt they had grown out of her-- no longer interested in childish games, or her idea of fun wasn’t theirs at all.

Furthermore, some of the children even made fun of her for the way she would act for her age.

“You are so childish.”

“When are you going to act your age?”

“Still want to play with your dollies, or maybe you need a rattle again.”

Lil began to feel hurt and betrayed, and she was forced to play on her own most of the time at recess or after school… which still kept her rather distracted from her studies and work in class.

Then it came to Lil, and her features changed to and unimpressed state and she sighed miserably as she handed back a very poorly done math test.

Cheerilee cleared her throat as if to insist the children stop their taunting, and they did as such.

The teacher then took her place at the front of the room. “As you all know, those dioramas of your vision of what New Ponyville could look like in future are due tomorrow.”

“Now, now, I won’t take any excuses. You’ve all had one week to make them, and if they aren’t ready on time… Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to accept responsibility for it.”

“…Responsibility.” Lil growled in thought. “There’s a word I’d like to see go poof and never come back.”

The school bell rang for the end of another day, and Cheerilee dismissed the students… except for Lil. “I’d like you to stay please. There’s something I need to talk with you about.”

A while later, Lightning and Starla were out walking with Shining Light, who still rode in a stroller.

Lightning and Starla felt they both needed this. They were both exhausted, having spent the entire day analyzing the events of the previous battle and trying to make sense of anything, and now were out for a much-needed breath of air with their son… like a family.

It was especially cute when Shining Light would point at things on the way and holler at them…

Starla bent down and pecked him on his little head and cooed “You are so smart.”

“That’s my little champ.” Lightning added as he patted his son softly. “I think you need ice-cream.”

As they walked along to where the Ice-Cream Vendor was up the road, they saw none other than Swift Star who had an ice-cream of his own.

Soon, all the officers and the little toddler had ice together, and were chatting.

Swift seemed to be getting a long great in his new promotion. He walked his beats, he maintained vigil in case of trouble, and as he was assigned to Lightning’s unit as an axillary front-line fighter, he remained alert in case he should be called into action.

The good mood was suddenly interrupted by the sound of scolding coming from across the field where Cheerilee’s school was.

“Don’t “But Daddy” me! You just caused me to lose time for work, and I could very well lose a big business deal.”

Starla looked at him from far away as he and Lil Fair walked down a different path home.

The father was a tall, tanned Earth Pony with a dark brown mane. He wore a suit and tie and was carrying a briefcase, and, like most civilian Equestrians, he wore a pin on his clothes showing his cutiemark… which was that of a single brown shoe.

Lightning’s features turned slight sour. “Yes, unfortunately… He’s well-known all over New Ponyville.”

Sole Maker was a world-renowned cobbler and shoe-maker, who ran and owned a chain of factories spreading all over the planet, especially ever since The Great War, when all ponies became humanoid and proper footwear was needed for feet.

Sole was known to be a bit of a workaholic and bit short-tempered, always keeping busy, hardly ever seen not buried in business papers, making deals, or being at the main office.

Both Lightning and Starla agreed, and didn’t think much of sole, and the way he was talking his daughter led them, like others, to think him a bit pushy too, but he wasn’t breaking the law, and it was his right as a parent to discipline his child… to an extent.

“I think I remember something odd about Sole Maker…” he thought and he thought, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

When Sole and Lil got home, the first thing Sole did was confiscate every toy, every fun thing out of his daughter’s bedroom despite her protests.

“Not anymore.” insisted Sole, and by the time he was done, he had locked all the toys in the attic of their house, and all that was left in Lil’s room, other than her bed and clothes, was a desk, and text books.

“How do you expect to grow up and be a respectable, proper pony, with all this silly play, and nonsense going around in your head?”

“I don’t.” replied Lil’ “I don’t want to grow up, and I want to be the kind of pony you’re thinking. I just want to have fun and be carefree and happy.”

Her father only grew more irritated, every time Lil would scoff at growing up, but as always, he had the final say and he put his foot down.

“Too bad… Everybody grows up, and that means being responsible-- leaving childish things behind.”

He got her to sit down and start studying for a makeup test, and she wasn’t to leave until dinnertime.

As he left her room, closing the door behind him, he almost looked ready to explode, but he held it in. “Why me?” he murmured to himself. “Why did I have to be cursed like this?”

Even back when she was very little, her father would be buried in his work and often be in a bad mood, often ignoring her or refusing to play with her and her friends.

Even when she would draw playful pictures of her mom and dad, he would always be harsh with her.

Lady Fair; a pink Earth Pony with a long yellow mane, and a cutiemark of an eye with long lashes, was a rather stereotypical, and vacuous ninny.

She cared heavily about her looks, preferably her eye-lashes, which were nearly as long as pretty as Rarity’s. She was unemployed, and mere spent her days at spas, or playing Bridge with her equally vacuous friends… which she was doing right now, which was why her husband had to go and pick up Lil from school.

She and her friends were laughing while cracking jokes of how important it was to look pretty and having rich or well-to-do husbands to support them.

“You should have seen Sole when he met me. One look at these eyes,” she fluttered her lids, “…And he fell right over backwards.”

Goldie Thread: a yellow Pegasus with a long blonde mane, who ran the very spa she and her friends used constantly…

And Shimmery: a light blue Earth-Pony whose skin was so shiny, it was like looking into the sky, and this was due to her obsession with skincare.

“Please, Lady…” asked Pearly “Tell us again how you and your husband ever had a child? The rest of us certainly didn’t.”

The other mares laughed at the idea of ever being mothers themselves, and Lady merely asked. “I never knew I was pregnant, I simply thought I was gaining weight. What a surprise that was…

Neither of the parents was ever really around or interested in helping Lil with her homework or her studies, which was another reason why her grades were so bad.

It was no wonder Lil was so messed up and losing more faith in grownups and growing up than ever.

They would play ball, and accidently hit it over a fence into someone’s backyard, and he wouldn’t give it back.

“It landed in my yard, it STAYS in my yard! Tough luck, kiddies…!”

Or when she and her friends were playing in the park, and minding their own business, when a mother came walking by pushing her infant child in a carriage.

“This is a playground! We can be as loud as we want!”

“DON’T YOU TALK BACK TO ME!!" shouted the mother, which woke her baby anyway, and she blamed the kids for it.

Why even when going to the candy store by themselves, which they had done before, one of the royal guards stopped them and questioned why they-- a bunch of minors-- were out and about without an adult escort.

All the time, grownups got their way with the kids, and now her father was forcing her to embrace it and grow up?

“UGH!!” she thundered as she shoved the books off her desk in a fit of rage.

“Why do I have to grow up? Why do I have to do things I can’t stand, like work, and keep quiet all the time?

She began to sing a very soft song while reflecting on her past, and still wishing she could stay young and playful forever.

Life… it seems like it goes on and on
First it seems grand and fun.
Then it goes a different way,
And all those good times are done.

You work all day, and sweat your brow
Just to bring in the pay.
No time for fun, or a moment alone,
It’s just always been that way.

Don’t wanna grow up,
Don’t wanna grow up,
Don’t need all the pain and rage.
Rather be me, all fun and carefree,
Forever at a young age,
Don’t wanna grow up,
Don’t wanna grow up,
Would rather be having fun,
All love and with joy, life would be my toy
No grownups to tell me “It’s done!”

Her fantasy kept on going, where the world was a giant playground, filled with playful wonders beyond imagination.

The adults would try and talk her down, but she only shut send them off-- pulling a level and send them all rolling down the hill and into the mud.

Work… it’s simply overrated now.
Doesn’t bring you glee and joy,
Not like when in the olden days,
for every girl and every boy.

Life, would be like every other time,
full of smiles all around,
If there is such a place where that’s true,
Then that is where I’m bound.

No grownups to tell me “It’s done!”

Then there was dinner, but Lil was eating all alone at the table, while her dad was in his home office working, while her mom left for a pedicure appointment.

When it came time for bed, she thought she’d at least bid her father good night, but she decided against it, especially because she could hear from the other side of his office door where he was dealing with a client.

“It’s getting late…” said the client. “Don’t you think you ought to check on your kid?”

To which Sole snuffed, “She knows the rules. Bedtime is bedtime, and I expect her to up and ready for school in the morning too.

With that, she angrily stomped off, and went to her room, and threw herself in bed.

How could her father be so cold, and so misunderstanding? Sometimes she even wondered if he was ever proud of her at all.

Still, it didn’t change how much she hated her parents, her teacher, and any grownup for that matter.

A playful fully like her sure believed in wishing on a star, and so… she concentrated really hard…

“Can’t I just stay young forever?” she wished “I wish there was a way that I wouldn’t have to grow up, and make adults understand me better.”

Soon she was sleeping peacefully, but later in the night she was awoken softly by the sound of a disembodied, feminine, childlike voice calling to her.

“Don’t be scared.” the voice replied “I’m not going to hurt you. In fact, I think I like you… a lot.”

Lil still felt a little bit scared.

The voice giggled and then appeared before her as a small, glowing ball of sparkling light.

“It’s a real shame, isn’t it-- having to put up with grownups, always going “No” and “Don’t” and “Do this” and “Do that.”

Lil suddenly began to feel a grasp of what was happening. “Hold on a second, are you some kind of wish-granting spirit?”

The spirit snickered softly, “Well…” she paused “…Yes, actually I am. I’ve come to grant the wish you made. So you’ll never have to worry about growing up, or enduring all those responsibilities and stuff.

…Interested?”

Overcome with astounding amazement, and given all that she had been through, Lil couldn’t resist. “Yes, yes… I’ll do it. I’ll do anything!”

“Very well then…” replied the spirit, and it swirled round, and around and around Lil’s bed, making the light get brighter and brighter, forcing Lil to shut her eyes…

She got out of bed to get ready for school, before her father would give her grief.

Then again, Sole had already left for an early business meeting that morning and Lady Fair was nowhere to be seen either; probably having run off to the spa, or shopping, or more lazing about…

She had a simple slice of toast for breakfast, and managed to make her own lunch for school…

But when she got to class that day, she and other students were in for a surprise, for instead of finding Cheerliee, they found Mykan Stevens waiting for them.

“I bet you’re all wondering where Cheerliee is?” I paused, and I looked rather worried, as if I couldn’t bear to explain, but I had to.

“Cheerliee was found unconscious in her home this morning. She was taken to the hospital.”

The students all began to chatter softly, but it was Lil who seemed the most surprised. “What’s wrong with her?”

“We don’t know yet.” I answered. “Apparently she was found on the floor, as if she had fallen out of bed, but that doesn’t explain why she never woke up.”

“Try not to worry.” I assured the kids. “The doctors are doing all they can, but in the meantime I’ll fill in classes until Cheerilee comes back.

Lil’s eyes bulged, “Oh, no!!” she groaned softly, “I knew I forgot something else.”

With all the stress and negativity she was put through the other night, she never had time to do her homework-- not that she could make a diorama anyway since her father confiscated all her fun art stuff.

“I was out for my early morning jog before patrol,” Swift explained. “Cheerilee always leaves for work on my way back, but when I was passing by again, not only did I not see her come out of her house, but I noticed the morning paper was still sitting on her front stoop.

Lightning and Starla thought this unusual too, knowing Cheerilee as well as he did.

“I knocked at her door to see everything was okay, but when I didn’t get an answer, I peeked in through the window, and I could see her lying on the floor surrounded by a big mess, like something had been fighting with her.

Under Starfleet procedure, I let myself in-- kicking down the door-- to try and help her. She looked awful pale and felt cold with a chill.”

Lightning and Starla commended Swift for his correct following procedure, but they were deeply concerned about Cheerilee’s appearance.

“It’s all positive. Her life energy has been drained out. That’s why she’s so weak right now.”

Cheerilee didn’t look the least bit wounded, but she wouldn’t be up to explaining or sharing for a while; she was pretty much out of it for a spell, and Penny promised to care for her and help her get well.

Lightning and Starla ordered an investigation sweep of Cheerliee’s home, but the officers could find nothing of anything at all.

And According to Swift, the doors and windows were perfectly locked too before he let himself in. Whoever or whatever attacked didn’t enter the house through those ways.

“We already have, Sir.” replied an officer. “One of my troops just turned up something.”

He handed Lightning a tiny container that was seemingly empty, but really, when scanned with Starfleet visors it showed traces of magic.

“That’s the same stuff Penny found all over Cheerilee when she examined her.” said Starla.

She and Lightning then analyzed the magic with their visors, it was definitely a form of energy stealing magic, but there were no traces to indicate its caster.

“Whoever or whatever did this covered their tracks well.” suggested Lightning.

“But why?” wondered Swift. “Who would want to harm an innocent School Teacher?”

“That’s what we better find out,” said Starla. “I have a nasty feeling that whoever did this is only getting started.”

In our next episode: Tree Hugger shows off her incredible all-trade skills, which sparks jealousy from some of the others as they miss being able to do their own hobbies, and may lead to a small fallout It also makes her a new target for the School of Nightmares and their conquest for power, which also results in DD becoming involved in the danger as well.

My Brave Pony: Starfleet Magic Season XI

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 2: The Young and the Relentless